Machine for making box-shooks.



Patented Apr. 30, I901.

W. DUPRE.

MACHINE FORMAKiNG BOX SHOOKS.

(Application filed Jan. 10, 1901.)

4 Sheets-Sheet}.

J71 Meryl/ 01. ELEM ave.

C (naveyo (No Model.)

(No Model.)

Patented Apr. 30, I901.

W. DUPRE.

MACHINE FOR MAKING BOX SHOOKS.

(Application filed. Jan. 10, 1901.)

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MACHINE FOR MAKING BOX SHODKS.

Patented Apr. 30, 190i.

(Application filed Jan. 10, 1901., (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

No. 673.049 Patented Apr. 30, l90l.' W. DUPRE.

MACHINE FOR MAKING BOX SHOOKS. (Applcation filed Jan. 10, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILFRED DUPRE, OF NORTH BROOKFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR MAKING BOX-SHOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 673,049, dated April 30, 1901.

Application filed January 1901. Serial No. 42,722. (No model.)

To all Lula/0m, it may concern:

Be it known thatl, WILFRED DUPRE, a subject of the Queen of Englandu'esiding at North Brookfield, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Machine for Making Box-Shocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of machines which are employed for finishing the boards or rough stock furnished from the ordinary sawmill; and the especial object of this invention is'to provide astrong, simple, compact, and efficient machine which has been especially designed for finishing the boards or shooks employed in making packing boxes or cases.

To these ends this invention consists of the machine and of the combinations of parts therein, as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying four sheets of drawings, Figure 1 is a side View of amachine constructed according to this invention. Fig. 2

is a similar View taken from the opposite side of the machine. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section thereof. Fig.4is an enlarged detailview of one of the molders or matching-heads. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the composite cutters for planing one side of a board and simultaneously truing one edge thereof. Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the cutting-blades employed for severing the waste strips into suitable lengths for fire-wood. 7 is a perspective view illustrating theconstruction preferably employed for preventing the first presser-bar of the machinefrom wedging or lifting unevenly on account of variations in the width of the board being operated upon, and Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a form of product which may be produced by a machine constructed according to this invention.

In planing, matching, and edging the boards employed for making packing boxes or cases by means of the ordinary saws, planers, and matching-cutters the stock has to be handled and manipulated three and in some cases four separate times.

()ne especial object of my invention is therefore to provide a single machine which will produce a finished box-board directly from ro ugh stock furnished from the ordinary sawmill with the least possible amount of handling of the stock.

A further object of my invention is to provide a machine which will work up rough stock into box-boards with the least possible amount of Waste and which during its operation will sever the waste strips and cut oif the edges of the boards into proper lengths for fire-wood, so that the entire stock fed to the machine'will be utilized.

To accomplish these objects, a machine constructed according to this invention comprises, primarily, two sets of cutters, with means for operating the same so that one cutter will finish one surface of a board when fed through the machine in one direction and the other cutter will finish the other surface of the board when it is fed through the machine in the opposite direction.

In the form of machine herein illustrated the two sets of cutters are arranged one over the other, and for feeding the stock through the machine in opposite directions three sets of feed-rolls are employed. The middle or central set of feed-rolls is journaled in fixed position in the frame, and the upper and lower sets of feed-rolls are adjustable vertically toadapt the machine to produce difierent thicknesses of boards. The cutters em- "ployed are preferably of composite construction-that is to say, each of the main cutters of the machine preferably consists of a planing-cutter, such as employed in ordinary planing-machines, with a circular saw at one end thereof for simultaneously truing off the edge of the board as its surface is being planed by the body of the cutter.

The main cutters of the machine are Vertically adj ustable, and I preferably employ a single adjusting connection for simultaneously lifting the upper feed-rolls and upper one of the main cutters and a single adjusting connection for simultaneously raisingand lowering the lower feed-rolls, the lower main cutter, and the bottom feed-table to adapt the machine to variations in the thickness of stock.

In addition to the main cutters the machine is preferably provided with matching or molding heads for matching the opposite edges of the boards as they are finished. These matching-eutters are preferably provided with connections for throwing the same out of operation when it is desired to produce smoothedged boards, and the matching-cutters are also preferably connected so that they are adjusted simultaneously with the lower feedrolls and lower one of the main cutters of the machine, but are shifted only to one-half the extent of said parts, so that the matched joint between boards of different thickness will be automatically kept central therewith.

The chopping-cutters, which are employed for cutting up the waste edge strips into lengths suitable for fire-wood, are preferably provided with spring-reliefs, so that they will not interfere with the advancing movement of the stock, and the infeed presser-bar of the first one of the main cutters of the machine is preferably provided with an adjustment for preventing the same from twisting or binding on account of inequalities in the thickness at the opposite edges of stock which is fed into the machine.

The connections for controlling the principal adjustments of the machine are all preferably located near the feeding-in end thereof, this arrangement being adopted with the view of adapting the machine to be operated by one skilled operator, who stands at the feeding-in end of the machine, and an unskilled operator or boy, who will simply be required to stand at the opposite end of the machine and start the stock back into the machine in the opposite direction.

Referring to the accompanying drawings and in detail, a machine constructed according to this invention, as herein illustrated, comprises a pair of side frames or casings A. Journaled in boxes secured rigidly in the side frames A is a central set of feed-rolls 10, arranged at each side of a central table or the cross-beam which forms the table, cooperating with the main cutters of the machine. Journaled in vertically-movable boxes above the feed-rolls 10 is a pair of fluted feeding-in rolls l1 and a pair of smooth-surfaced feedingout rolls l2. Arranged between the fluted feeding-in rolls 11 and the smooth feedingout rolls 12 is the upper main cutter 13. The cutter 13 consists, essentially, of a body portion, such as employed in ordinary planingmachines, having a circular saw at one end thereof, and the cutter 13 is pre'ferablyjournaled in a frame or box lat, which may be lifted up and moved endwise out of the machine or may be clamped rigidly in place therein by means of bolts 30, as shown in Fig. 1. Vertically movable in the box 14 at each side of the cutter 13 are presser-bars 15.

To prevent the presser-bar 15 on the feeding-in side of the cutter 13 from wedging or lifting unevenly when there is variation in the thickness of a board at its opposite edges, I preferably provide a rock-shaft 16, having extending fingers l7 engaging sockets in the presser-bar 15, as most clearly illustrated in Fig. 7, so as to insure a parallel motion or even lifting of the presser-bar 15.

To provide for simultaneously raising the upper set of feed-rolls and the cutter 13 in order to adapt the machine to difierent thicknesses of stock, I preferably provide a single operating connection.

As herein illustrated, an adjusting-slide 23 is mounted so as to be longitudinally movable in each of the side frames A of the machine. Each of the slides 23 is provided with cams 24 for lifting the feed-rolls and with a central cam 25 for lifting the frame of the cutter 13. The slides 23 at opposite sides of the machine are geared together by means of a cross-shaft 26, which cross-shaft 26 maybe turned or adjusted by means of a worm-wheel 27, gearing with a worm controlled bya handle 28, as illustrated in Fig. 1. By means of this construction, in order to adapt the machine to different thicknesses of stock, it is merely necessary to loosen the fasteningbolts 30, which hold the cutter 13 to the position to which it is set, and by turning the handle 28 the cutter 13 may be raised and the feed-rolls simultaneously lifted against the pressure of weights W, which normally force the same down.

Arranged between the feeding-out rolls 12 at one side of the machine is a matching head or cutter 18, which is carried by a vertical shaft journaled in bearings carried by a slide 19. The slide carrying the matching ormolding head 18is adjustable by connections hereinafter described, or when it is desired to throw the same completely out of operation this slide may be lifted by a cam 20, carried by a rod 21, connected to an operating-lever 22 at the feeding-in end of the machine, as shown in Fig. 3. As the stock isfedoutfrom beneath the upper set of feed-rolls, it falls upon a vertically-adjustable table T, and journaled in verticallymovable boxes beneath the eentralfeed-rolls 10 of the machine are fluted feeding-back rolls 31 and planesurfaced delivery-rolls 32. Arranged between the rolls 31 and 32 is a lower main eutter34. The cutter 34, as illustrated most clearly in Fig. 5, is of substantially the same construction as the upper cutter 13, before referred to, and is journaled in a frame or box 35, which may be clamped in place by means of wedges 38, carried by aslide 37, connected to a clampinglever 39, as shown in Fig. 5. Mounted in the box 35, at each side of the cutter 34, are presser-bars 36, having springs arranged below the same in the ordinary manner. The boxes of the lower set of feed-rolls 31 and 32 are provided with plunger-s or rods having lifting-springs coiled upon the same, which extend down into vertically-movable blocks or pieces 33.

To simultaneously adjust the lower set of feed-rolls and the lower main cutter of the machine, I provide aset of operating connections similar to those employed for adjusting IIO the upper feed-rollsthat is to say, in each of the side frames A, I provide a longitudinally-movable slide 43, having cams 44 for engaging the pieces 33 to adjust the feed-rolls and central cams 45 for adjusting the vertically-movable cutter 34. The slides 43 are also provided with cams 46 for adjusting the feed-table T simultaneously with the lower set of feed-rolls and the lower main cutter of the machine. The slides 43 are geared together by means of a cross-shaft 47, and, as

illustrated in Fig. 1, the cross-shaft 47 is provided with aworm-wheel 48, meshing with a worm which may be turned by a handle 49, so that by means of this construction the lower feed-table, the lower feed-rolls, and the lower main cutter of the machine may be all simultaneously adjusted to secure any desired depth of cut or finish-chip from the top surface of the boards as the same are run back through the machine.

Between the delivery-rolls 32, as illustrated in Fig. 1, I provide a secohd matching-cutter or molding-head 40, which is mounted upon or carried by averticallymovable slide in the same manner as the molding-head 18, before referred to. The molding or matching cutter 40 may when desired be thrown out of operation by a cam carried by a slide 41, operated from a handle 42 in a similar manner to thatin which the matching-cutter 18 may be thrown out of operation when smooth-edged boards are desired.

In order to sim ultaneously adjust the matching-heads or molding-cutters 18 and 40 so that the matched joints may be maintained at the center of boards of difierent thicknesses, the slides 43 are provided with oppositely-faced lifting-cams, the slides 43 at one side of the machine being provided with a lifting-cam 460, as indicated in Fig. 3, for lifting the cutter 18 and the slide 43 at the opposite side of the machine being provided with an oppositely-faced cam 460 for lifting the molding head or cutter 40. The cams 460 of the slides 43, which are arranged to adjust the molding-heads in this manner, preferably have half the pitch of the cams for adjusting the main cutters and feed-rolls of the machine, so that a one-half movement will be imparted to the matching or molding heads, so as to keep the matched joints central with respect to boards of different thicknesses.

One of the chopping-cutters, which are employed for cutting up thewaste strips into lengths suitable for fire-wood, is illustrated in Fig. 6. As shown in this figure, a springlifted lever 50 is provided at its free end with wheels 51, which, as illustrated in Fig. 3, are arranged to be engaged by a cam 52 on a cross driving-shaft 53. Pivoted to the lever 50 is a blade 54, which is preferably held in its normal position by a spring, so that the same may yield or move laterally, so as not tointerfere with the operation of the machine.

The main cutters of the machine and the two matching or molding heads are each preferably driven by an independent dr-ivingbelt, as D.

The gearing which may be employed for driving the feed rolls of the machine is most clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. As shown in these figures, the driving-shaft 53 is driven by a belt 55 from any suitable source of power, and, as shown in Fig. 1, the shaft 53 drives a shaft 57 through a belt 56. As shown in Fig. 2, the shaft 57 drives a crossshaft 58 through a loose belt. The loose belt between the shafts 57 and 58 maybe tightened to start or stop the feed of the machine as desired by means of an ordinary belt-tightener 59, which may be locked in position by a ratchet bar or catch 60. The shaft 58 at one side of the machine through gears 61, 62, 63, and 64 drives a'shaft 65. Secured on the shaft 65 is a gear 66, which meshes with drivegears which turn the central feeding-in rolls 10. Meshing with the gears 66 are gears 67 and 68, which mesh with and drive gears on the fluted feeding-in rollers 11 and the delivery-rollers 32. As shown in Fig. 1, the crossshaft 58 at the opposite side of the machine through gears 69, 70, and 71 drives a shaft 72. Secured on the shaft 72 is a gear 73, which meshes with and drives gears turning with the other set of central feed-rolls 10. Also meshing with the gear 73 are gears 74 and 75, which in turn mesh with and drive gears which turn with the feeding-out rollers 12 and fluted returning-rolls 31.

In the operation of the machine the stock is fed over the feed-in table T either by any of the ordinary work-carriages or simply pushed in between the first set of feedingrolls, the operator taking care to start the same in proper direction, so that as little will be trimmed off the edge of the board as possible to make a straight edge thereon. The assistant receiving the work at the opposite end of the machine starts the same back through the lower set of feed-rolls, taking care to direct the same so that as little as possible will be trimmed off from the other edge of the board. By this operation the opposite edges of the board may not be parallel, as illustrated, for example, in Fig. 8; but in making up packing-boxes or similar cases it. is essential that the edges of all boards should be parallel with each other, as the same can be properly matched or turned oppositely in box-making to produce square boxes, and by not-requiring the opposite edges of the finished product of the machine to be parallel I am enabled to secure the greatest amount of product from the stock used.

I am aware that numerous changes may be made in the construction of my machine by those who are skilled in the art and that different features thereof may be entirely omitted or used in difierent connections, if desired, without departing from the scope of my invention as expressed in the claims. I

do not wish, therefore, to be limited to the construction I have herein shown and described; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a central set of feed-rolls journaled in fixed bearings, top and bottom feedrolls cooperating therewith, two sets of cutters arranged so that one cutter will finish one surface of a board when fed through the machine in one direction, and the other cutter will finish the other surface of the board when it is fed back through the machine in the opposite direction, and means for vertically adjusting the cutters and top and bottom sets of feed-rolls to adapt the machine to difierent thicknesses of boards, substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a central setof feed-rolls journaled in fixed bearings, top and bottom feedrolls cooperating therewith, cutters arranged so that one cutter will finish one surface of a board when fed through the machine in one direction, the other cutter being arranged to finish the other surface of the board when it is fed back through the machine in the opposite direction, a single set of adjusting connections for simultaneously adjusting the top cutter and top setof feed-rolls, and a single set of adjusting connections for simultaneously adjusting the lower cutter and bottom set of feed-rolls to adapt the machine to different thicknesses of boards, substantially as described.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a set of feed-rolls journaled in fixed bearings, a vertically-movable set of feed-rolls, and a vertically-movable cutter cooperating therewith, two longitudinally-movable adjusting-slides arranged one at each side of the machine, said adjusting slides having cam surfaces or wedges for simultaneously raising the feed-rolls and cutter, and means for simultaneously actuating said adj listing-slides, substantially as described.

4:. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a set of feed-rolls journaled in fixed bearings, a set of vertically-movable feed-rolls, and a vertically-movable cutter cooperating therewith, longitudinally-1novable adjusting-slides arranged one at each side of the machine, said slides being provided with cams or inclines for simultaneouslylifting the feed-rolls and cutter, a cross-shaft" gearing said slides together, and a worm and wormwheel for turning said cross-shaft to adjust the slides, substantially as described.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a set of feed-rolls journaled in fixed bearings, a set of vertically-movable feed-rolls, a vertically-movable cutter, and a vertically-movable feed-table arranged below and in position to cooperate with the fixed set of feed-rolls, and means for simultaneously adjusting said parts, substantially as described.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of three sets of feed-rolls arranged one over the other, two sets of cutters, and two matching-heads cooperating therewith, means for simultaneously adjusting the upper set of feed-rolls and the upper cutter, and for simultaneously adjusting the lower set of feed-rolls, the lower cutter,and to secure an adjustment of one-half the extent of said adjustments for the matching-heads to adapt the machine to boards of difierent thicknesses, substantiallyas described.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a saw for trimming one edge of a board when it is fed through the machine in one direct-ion, and means for cutting the waste strip trimmed off by the saw into lengths so as to prevent said waste strip from interfering with the further finishing of the trimmed edge of the board as said board is fed through the machine, substantially as described.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a saw for trimming the edge of a board, a matching-cutter, and means for cutting the waste strip trimmed off by the saw into lengths, so that the saw and matchingcutter may act successively on the board as the same is fed through the machine, substantially as described.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a saw for trimming the edge of a board, a reciprocating chopping-cutter, and a matching-cutter, said parts being arranged so that the waste strip cut off by the saw will be cut into lengths suitable for firewood, and said waste strip will be disposed of so that the saw and matching-cutter may act successively on the board as the same is fed through the machine, substantially as described.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a saw for trimming one edge of a board when it is fed through the machine in one direction, a saw for trimming the other edge of the board when it is fed through the machine in the opposite direction, a match- IIO ing-cutter for engaging each edge of the board, and means for cutting the waste strips trimmed off by the saws into lengths so as to permit a saw and matching-cutter to act successively on an edge of the board as the same is fed through the machine, substantially as described.

11. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a saw for trimming one edge of a board when it is fed through the machine in one direction, a saw for trimming the other edge of the board when it is fed through the machine in the opposite direction, and two reciprocating chopping blades or cutters for cutting the waste strips trimmed oif by the saws into lengths suitable for fire wood, whereby the waste strips will not interfere with a saw and matching-cutter acting successively on each edge of the board, substantially as described.

12. In a machine of the class described, the combination of feed-rolls, a cutter for planing one surface of a board when it is fed through the machine in one direction, a presser-bar on the infeed side of said cutter, movable up and down in a vertical plane, and a' rockshaft having projections or arms at its opposite ends for engaging the presser-bar to cause both ends of the presser-bar to rise simultaneously, substantially as described.

13. In a machine of the class described, the combination of three sets of feed-rolls arranged one over the other, two sets of cutters, one cutter being arranged to finish one surface and one edge of a board as it is fed through the machine in one direction, and

the other cutter being arranged to finish the other surface of the board and. the other edge thereof when it is fed through the machine in the opposite direction, connections controlled from one end of the machine for simultaneously adjusting the upper set of feed-rolls and upper cutter, for simultaneously adjusting the lower set of feed-rolls and'lower cutter to adapt the machine to difierent thicknesses of boards, and for starting and stopping the feed mechanism of the machine, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILFRED DUPRE.

Witnesses:

LOUIS WrSOUTHGATE, PHILIP W. SOUTHGATE. 

